Elerson Smith didn’t expect the Giants to draft him

After the New York Giants selected Georgia edge rusher Azeez Ojulari in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, Elerson Smith essentially crossed the team off his mental list of potential destinations.

In Smith’s mind, the Giants had accomplished their goal of adding a pass rusher and that meant it was down to 31 other teams.

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“Honestly, when I saw they took Azeez I was like, ‘they already got [their] defensive end.’ So I kind of took them off my list in my head,” Smith told KSTP Sports. “But I like the idea of coming in with another pass rusher — someone who can motivate me. We can motivate each other and get after it.”

When the call did come for Smith, he recognized the New Jersey area code but because the television networks were so far behind in their pick coverage, he had no idea the Giants were even on the clock.

“I saw New Jersey and it was weird because they called me 10-15 minutes before they even showed it on the TV screen. I didn’t even know the Giants had a pick coming up,” Smith said. “I was extremely shocked, excited and relieved. It was a great moment.”

As excited as Smith was at the time, the Northern Iowa product is already looking ahead and planning to maximize his opportunities.

“I’m going to make sure I work hard and contribute on special teams,” Smith said. “Obviously, just do my best and show what I can do in practices.”

Smith added that he doesn’t care if he has his hand down or if he’s standing up, his goal is just to get to the quarterback. He also believes he’ll benefit from playing in Patrick Graham’s defensive, which will provide him some additional space in which to work.